Common Futures

Sustainability
In relation to the reduction of energy poverty, the aim is to address the
increasing number of people, both in Africa and India, without access to
affordable, secure, and sustainable energy. There are 1.3 billion people in the
world without access to modern energy, 8 both Africa and India have shares in
this numbers – only 290 million out of 915 million people in Sub-Saharan
Africa have access to electricity, and in India 412 million people lack access
to modern energy services. 9 Fighting energy poverty through this partnership
means that there is a need to explore alternative sources of energy such as
solar energy and concentrating solar power, wind power, geothermal heat,
and waste-to-energy systems, which are cheap and affordable.
The final issue is the adaptation of energy systems which, Ramsay defines as
the need to respond to the implications of climate change for energy supply,
energy transformation, and transportation infrastructure. 10 The use of microenergy
systems could be one of the alternatives that this partnership could
focus on. It would promote the decentralization of energy systems based on
small energy appliances, which provide households, small businesses or farms
with locally generated energy, enabling a spatial link between energy demand,
supply and generation. 11
Conclusion
Addressing energy demands while ensuring sustainable development is
relevant for both African-countries and India. The availability of affordable
and reliable energy has become a basic need for the present generation.
However, the fulfilment of this demand, in both Africa and India, should not
be secured by compromising the ability of future generations to realize their
needs.
Africa-India partnership in the energy sector should go beyond the economic
relationship of supply and demand, to include other areas of cooperation
aiming to promote sustainable development. This partnership is deemed
important mostly in the context of climate change due to the increasing
consumption of non-environment friendly energy. Accordingly, in order
to mitigate the issue of climate change, the Africa-India partnership must
address the three main challenges: energy sustainability, reduction of energy
poverty, and adaption of energy systems. The success of this partnership
heavily depends on how both regions handle these important issues.
8 Robert Priddle, ed., Africa Energy Outlook – A Focus on Energy Prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa (Paris:
OECD/IAE, 2014), 13.
9 Robert Priddle, ed., World Energy Outlook – China and India Insights (Paris: OECD/IEA, 2007),
573.
10 William C. Ramsay, Energy Sector Governance in the 21 st Century, 154.
11 Sebastian Groh et al., Decentralized Solutions for Developing Economies – Addressing Energy Poverty
through Innovation (London: Springer, 2015), 7.
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